Krapina

Krapina
Krapina
Town
	Grad Krapina; Town of Krapina
	Top: View on Krapina; Bottom: Town center
	Flag
	Krapina Location of Krapina in Croatia Krapina Krapina (Croatia)
	Coordinates: 46°10′N 15°52′E / 46.16°N 15.87°E
Country	Croatia
County	Krapina-Zagorje
Government
• Mayor	Zoran Gregurović (HDZ)
• City Council	17 members
Area
• Town	47.7 km2 (18.4 sq mi)
• Urban	2.5 km2 (1.0 sq mi)
Elevation	203 m (666 ft)
Population (2021)
• Town	11,530
• Density	240/km2 (630/sq mi)
• Urban	4,201
• Urban density	1,700/km2 (4,400/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (Central European Time)
Postal code	HR-49 000
Area code	+385 49
Vehicle registration	KR
Website	krapina.hr

Krapina (pronounced [krâpina];^[3] Hungarian: Korpona) is a town in northern Croatia and the administrative centre of Krapina-Zagorje County with a population of 4,482 (2011) and a total municipality population of 12,480 (2011).^[4] Krapina is located in the hilly Zagorje region of Croatia, approximately 55 km (34 mi) from both Zagreb and Varaždin.

Population

The following settlements comprise the Krapina municipality:^[4]

Bobovje, population 510
Doliće, population 436
Donja Šemnica, population 912
Gornja Pačetina, population 404
Krapina, population 4,471
Lazi Krapinski, population 79
Lepajci, population 391
Mihaljekov Jarek, population 469
Podgora Krapinska, population 565
Polje Krapinsko, population 666
Pretkovec, population 66
Pristava Krapinska, population 214
Strahinje, population 328
Straža Krapinska, population 42
Škarićevo, population 707
Šušelj Brijeg, population 4
Tkalci, population 432
Trški Vrh, population 399
Velika Ves, population 727
Vidovec Krapinski, population 215
Vidovec Petrovski, population 101
Zagora, population 94
Žutnica, population 248

Town of Krapina: Population trends 1857–2021

population	5457	6060	6435	7007	7538	8141	7884	8224	9222	9473	10384	11533	12540	12938	12950	12480	11530
	1857	1869	1880	1890	1900	1910	1921	1931	1948	1953	1961	1971	1981	1991	2001	2011	2021

Sources: Croatian Bureau of Statistics publications

History

Krapina has been known since 1193. It has always been a favorite site for castles and country houses of Croatian and Hungarian rulers.

In the first half of the 15th century, it was an important center of the Counts of Celje, who additionally fortified the town and expanded the nearby castle. Later, it came into the possession of the Keglević family.

In the late 19th and early 20th century, Krapina was a district capital in Varaždin County of the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia.

Prehistoric site

In 1899, on a hill called Hušnjakovo near modern Krapina, the archaeologist and paleontologist Dragutin Gorjanović-Kramberger found over 800 fossil remains of Neanderthals.

The half-cave in Krapina was soon listed among the world's science localities as a significant fossil finding site, where the largest and richest collection of the Neanderthal man had ever been found.

At the site where the Neanderthal remains were discovered there is now a state-of-the-art Neanderthal museum which also includes an extensive section on evolution, making it one of the most interesting evolutionary museums in Europe.^[6] It is surrounded by a park with many statues of Neanderthals and the game they hunted, a bear, a moose and a beaver set in the actual locations.

Culture

Krapina is home to the yearly Festival kajkavske popevke (The festival of kajkavian song) sung in the local Kajkavian language.^[7]

There is also a nearby municipality of Krapinske Toplice (Krapina spa) with numerous thermal springs and spa tourist infrastructure. Krapina is also the birthplace of the linguist and language reformer Ljudevit Gaj. His home is now a museum where visitors can learn about his life and work.

Since 1997, Franciscan monastery and St. Catherine's church in Krapina are hosts of the Krapinafest, annual contemporary Christian music festival.^[8]

Notable person

Mirko Dražen Grmek (1924–2000), Croatian and French historian of medicine, was born in Krapina.
Ljudevit Gaj(born Ludwig Gay) (1809-1872), was a Croatian linguist, politician, journalist, and writer born in Krapina.

Transportation

Krapina is served by the A2 freeway and state road D1. It has a train station on the R106 corridor and a bus station which also serves as a hub for the bus company "Presečki d.o.o." - the company connects Krapina with numerous towns across the county and region.^[9]^[10]